Extensible tractor ram



July 26, 1949. G. L. BLISS ExTENsIBLE TRACTOR RAM Filed June l1, 1947 AI v INVENTOR: @fp/@gf HIS ATTORNEY.

Pamed July 2s, 1949 EXTENSIBLE TRACTOR RAM .George L. Bliss, Yardley,Pa.,

assignor to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey,` acorporation of New Jersey Application June 11, 1947, Serial No. '753,9574 Claims. (Cl. 214-65) This invention relates to tractors used forpicking up and transporting articles such as bundles of wire, coils ofstrip and the like and more particularly to telescopic or extensiblerams therefor.

Tractors having ram-like pick-up members are frequently used fortransporting bundles of wire or rod and the like between the variousprocessing departments of the mills. Since the coils or bundles areloosely bunched, it is desirable to have a long ram for picking thebundles up but due to the fact that aisle space is frequently quitelimited, it is necessary to have a short ram in order to drive thetractor therethrough. Consequently, it is desirable for such purpose tohave a ram that can be varied in length. Moreover, to have utmostflexibility in use, it is desirable to have a short ram for transportingor unloading coils of strip metal and the like whereas longer rams arenecessary for moving bundles of rod or wire. Thus an extensible ram isnecessary if a tractor is to be used for both of these purposes.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an adjustabletractor ram.

It is a further object to provide an adjustable tractor ram which issimple in design but nevertheless rugged and durable in operation.

The foregoing and further objects will be apparent from the followingspecification when read in conjunction with the attached drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the ram of my invention incollapsed position;

Figure 2 is a similar view with the ram in extended position;

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation of the ram f Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical section of a portion of the ram;

Figure 5 is a section on line V-V of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a section on line VI-VI of Figure 4; and

Figure 7 is a view on line VII- V11 of Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 2 designates aram member elevatable by a lift 4 on a tractor 6. The ram 2 of myinvention comprises inner and outer telescoped tubes 8 and Il! ofapproximately the same length. The inner end of the outer tube i0 issuitably attached to the lift 4 as at I2 and has its outer end beveledor tapered as at I4.

The inner tube 8 has an outside diameter slightly less than the insidediameter of the outer tube i0 so that a close sliding it is providedtherebetween. The inner tube 8 has closure member I6 welded or otherwisesuitably secured to the outer end thereof which closure member has adepending arm or hook i8. A groove 2l is provided along the bottom ofthe inner tube for a distance of about half the length thereof, whichgroove extends between forward and rearward latch slots 22 and 24. Theforward slot 22 is adjacent the closure member I 6.

The outer tube has an aperture 26 on its underside adjacent the outerend thereof. A studlike latch member 28 is disposed in this aperture andis extended a short distance into the interior of the tube by a springarm 30 secured to the underside of the outer tube as at 32. The latch 28may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to the spring arm and hasrounded or beveled upper surfaces 34.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the inner tube is guided by thelatch 28 extending into the groove 20 and that the forward and readwardmovement of the inner tube is limited by the spring-biased latch 28being sprung into the apertures 24 and 22, respectively.

To withdraw the inner tube and thereby extend the ram, it is merelynecessary to drop the ram so that the hook or arm I8 on the end thereofengages a suitable abutment such as is shown at 36, and then back up thetractor. Similarly, if it is desired to compress a load of bundles onthe extended ram and shorten it, it is merely necessary to bring the endof the ram and the outer bundle into engagement with a suitablebarricade and then move the tractor forward until the inner tube movesinto the outer tube sufficiently for the latch 28 to be sprung into theforward locking hole 22. y

While I have shown and described a specic embodiment of my invention, itwill be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose ofillustration and description and th`at various other forms may bedevisedl within the scope of my invention, as dened in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a tractor having a vertical lift, an extensiblehorizontal ram connected to said lift, said ram comprising inner andouter telescoped tubes, said outer tube having an inwardly extendingspring-biased latch member at the mid-portion of its underside, saidinner tube having forward. and rearward apertures on its underside andan intervening longitudinal groove connecting said apertures, saidforward aperture being adjacent the outer end of said inner tube andsaid rearward aperture being at the midportion thereof, said aperturesand said groove being adapted to -be engaged by said latch member.

2. In combination with a tractor having a vertical lift, an extensiblehorizontal ram connected to said lift, said ram comprising inner andouter telescoped tubes, said inner tube having an inwardly extendingspring-biased latch member at the mid-portion of its underside, saidinner tube having forward and rearward apertures on its underside and anintervening longitudinal groove connecting said apertures, said forwardaperture being adjacent the outer end of said inner tube, said rearwardaperture being at the mid-portion thereof, said apertures and saidgroove being adapted to be engaged by said latch member, and adownwardly depending hook-like arm on .the outer end of said inner tube.

3. In combination with an industrial truck having a vertical lift, anextensible ram connected to said lift, said ram comprising inner andouter telescoped tubes', said inner tube having a downwardly dependinghook member on the outer end thereof and a longitudinal groove on theunderside thereof, sad outer tube having a springbiased latch member onthe underside thereof, said groove being adapted to be engaged by saidlatch member to prevent rotation of said inner tube during extension orretraction thereof to maintain the downward extension of said hook.

4. In combination with an industrial truck having a vertical lift. anextensible ram connected to said lift, said ram comprising inner andouter telescoped tubes. said inner tube having a downwardly dependinghook member on the outer end thereof and having forward and rearwardapertures on the underside thereof connected by an interveninglongitudinal groove, said outer tube having a spring-biased latch memberon the underside thereof said latch member adapted to extend into saidgroove to prevent rotation of said inner tube during extension orretraction thereof to maintain the downward extension of said hook andextend into said apertures to hold said inner tube in extended orretracted position.

GEORGE L. BLISS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ie ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,335,741 Kellum Apr. 6, 19201,337,804 Towson et al. Apr. 20, 1920 1,516,976 Mardel "Nov, 25, 19241,593,103 Remde July-20, 1926 1,868,562 Chubb et al. July 26, 19322,216,697 Vossenberg Oct. 1, 1940 2,417,031 Witherell Mar. 4, 1947

